Ex-Iran basketball coach, pundit Atashi dies at 80
Iranian basketball veteran Enayatollah Atashi passed away at the age of 80 in Tehran on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer.
A national team player in the 1960s, Atashi coached Iran over two spells, in 1983 and 1998, and worked as a prominent commentator and pundit for the country’s IRIB TV for more than three decades.
He was also a former player of Esteghlal Club – formerly known as Taj – and was credited with renaming the Tehran-based club after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Sports Minister Ahamd Donyamali offered his condolences on the passing of the high-profile figure in the Iranian sport, writing in a message: “Iranian basketball has lost a man who lived every dimension of the sport with expertise and integrity.
“His unparalleled contributions across various facets of basketball –from wearing the jersey of the national team and coaching elite players to serving in leadership roles in the federation – have etched the image of a true expert into the memory of the nation’s sports community.
“He was the ‘clear voice of basketball,’ who, with his warm and insightful commentary, brought this exciting and academic discipline into people’s homes, leaving a lasting legacy in the development and popularity of the sport.”